Tag Archives: discovering the community

People fall into two categories around the Christmas period: those who are overly prepared and have their shopping sorted and the tree up before December 1st, and those who leave everything to the last minute and are frantically running around the shops on Christmas eve. Whichever category you fall into, the holiday season is about winding down and curling up on the sofa for some serious relaxing – and what better way to do that than with a podcast?

This year we’ve rounded up some festive themed podcasts which will not only get you in the Christmas spirit but might actually help you get through the holiday season with ease! Whether you’re searching for some last minute gift ideas or just want to get into the festive mood, check out our list of podcasts and all you need to do is press play, sit back and relax.

Is there anything more gratifying than a beautiful personal garden? As someone who masters the art of gardening better than writing this blog post, “July means the start of summer holiday and a new rich colour palette, as dahlias, agapanthus and cosmos come into flower.” It’s that time of year when you can enjoy your free time in your garden, filling it with colorful flowers and plants. But, what if you’re a beginner, or don’t feel like a real pro?

As a first step to becoming a green thumb, we’ve selected 3 of Spreaker’s best gardening podcasts that will show you the way. You’ll learn how to do things like divide plants, plant a second round of vegetables, deadhead flowering plants, and more.

So, get to your garden, tune in to these podcasts, and sunbathe until you’ve learned what to do. You can start gardening with an unbeatable tan! Perfect plan! (But don’t forget to use sunscreen!)

Springtime means holidays and scheduling travel plans, as we all know! But we also know that the best way to choose a destination is through the inspiring stories of our friends who have just traveled to an exciting new place.

This selection of the 3 best podcasts for travelers is definitely an interesting way to learn more about how and where to travel, but it’s also a great opportunity to learn and discover more about places you don’t know, through the eyes and the voices of those who have already been there!

In the 60s Paul McCartney sang “Sit beside a mountain stream / see her waters rise/ Listen to the pretty sound of music as she flies.” Today, we could replace “music” with “podcasts” to give it an updated 2000s feel without taking away from its feeling and message. Listening to podcasts instead of songs can be somewhat soothing, bring you back into the moment, and allow you to better enjoy your surroundings.

So, here are our suggestions for celebrating #EarthDay: not a list of movies to watch or rules to follow, but just some hints on what to listen to while you’re going through the motions of your daily routine, to really celebrate and respect mother nature.

Here’s a list of some of the best Tech Podcasts from our Spreaker Community. For people who work with technology or are just tech-news followers, there are lots of choices to consider. That’s why we made up this list, for all of you who like to be updated about the latest tech news and can’t be satisfied enough by the usual tech podcasts out there.

The resurgence of podcasts has added another option for listening choices. You can stream them, listen to them live or download them and listen to them at the time of your choosing. – via cio.com

So, press play, turn on the volume and let yourself be inspired, informed and enlightened.

Doctors Bickford and Covington have helped many listeners shift perspective with their popular podcast Living-Consciousness.

We spoke to both of them about how broadcasting has helped broaden their audience and work.

Do you mind introducing yourself?

Dr. Kurt R. Bickford Dr. Bickford has earned two Master’s degrees and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, with specialization training in a number of areas including neuropsychology, neurotherapy, hypnosis, family systems and couples work. In addition to professional standing as a licensed Clinical Psychologist, he is also a licensed Marriage, Family & Child therapist, a credentialed Educational Psychologist, and credentialed teacher.

Dr. Bickford has practiced in the profession of psychology at a variety of levels since 1974, including a private practice in Redlands, California for the past twenty years. The practice has evolved to include executive & Consciousness coaching, working with private industry, educational institutions and healthcare services such as hospitals. He also is an independent medical examiner for the state of California, and has experience as an expert witness for the courts. He continues to pursue advanced training from masters in the field, and is now teaching and training others in the understanding of human behavior and interaction. He believes that all things human begin with the individual.

Dr. Tracy J. Covington Dr. Covington gathered an eclectic education as she pursued her interests and gifts. Her desire to empower others along with her intellect led her to a Master’s degree followed by a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, ultimately becoming a licensed Clinical Psychologist. She has fulfilled this passion in a variety of professional settings including hospitals, where she developed a strong desire to help patients with chronic pain and chronic disease processes such as cancer. She developed the first support group for young adults diagnosed with cancer, developed a rehabilitation center for the treatment of chronic pain and stress conditions where she utilized an inter-disciplinary approach, now a standard in the industry. She has presented research at both national and international levels, and her private practice of twenty years has now evolved to executive and Consciousness coaching and teaching others the possibilities in the human endeavor.

Thanks for talking to us! What made you start Living-Consciousness?

We offer, through our psychology practice, a monthly seminar series; we wanted to add a radio show to share and market the Living-Consciousness series.

What was your experience in consciousness and psychology before?

Our psychological practice, since 1991, has been embraced by a consciousness infrastructure.

Why Spreaker?

I researched the different platforms available for radio distribution and noted the Spreaker site to be engaging, easy to learn and navigate with awesome mobility options. The iPad DJ makes our show recordings easy and fun no matter where we are! We did a series from India… in front of the Taj, at a Monastery … as well as from our home and corporate offices.

That’s awesome! How do you organize shows? How do you plan what each show will be on?

Our show is organized to complement our monthly One-Day-Seminars. The show summarizes the previous seminar as well as provides a “tasting” for the upcoming seminar. We post our shows on a couple of our websites: Living-Consciousness.com and BickfordCovington.com

Do you rely on social networking to promote the show?

We use lots of social networking in conjunction to our mailing lists and email subscribers.

Has this podcast helped you personally or professionally?

The podcast has helped us immensely… and we are always so excited to host another show enhancing our skills in teaching consciousness and sharing our knowledge. Personally, we have a lot of fun just hosting the show every month. We share from a predetermined content that mixes with our impromptu and allow for a lot of our relationship (24 years married) and playfulness to shine through. Professionally… we have been able to connect our teachings to others through a free service which allows us to give back to our communities at large.

Excellent! Anything else you’d like to share?

We hope that Spreaker.com will be part of our networking family for a long time to come!

Mike Russell is our own expert audio guru on Spreaker. From audio production to internet business and marketing, he offers great tips and information via his excellently produced shows Audio Marketing Tips and Jingles Made Easy.

Do you mind introducing yourself?

I’m Mike Russell the Creative Director at Music Radio Creative. I started my career in radio learning how to produce audio and present radio shows. Now my wife and I run our own company that helps podcasters, radio hosts, DJs and businesses to sound great using the power of audio.

Yours shows, of course, sound great. How did you get into audio content and podcasting?

I have a passion for making creative audio and have always been interested in online business. It was listening to other podcasters that really got me hooked on the idea that I could use my radio experience to begin podcasting. I started the Music Radio Creative podcast in the summer of 2012 and have seen great results. I also found the fact that you are your own boss appealing. There is no radio station director or broadcasting authority telling you what you can and can’t say!

I started creating these new podcasts at the beginning of February 2013 as a way to distill my thoughts and ideas into short form podcasts. I read about audio marketing ideas and jingles on a daily basis and wanted to easily share the content that excites me with an audience. It always thrills me to put something out there and see how listeners will react to it.

They’re super well done. What recording tips do you usually give to new broadcasters?

Start your own radio show or podcast online as soon as possible and don’t think about it too much. If you can’t think of anything to say, find a topic that excites you and make a list of 10 talking topics before you start. The audio quality doesn’t have to be perfect when you first start just get something out there! Spreaker is such a great platform to experiment with multiple different show themes and ideas as it allows you to host an unlimited number of different shows.

Great advice, and thanks for the mention! What does podcasting mean to you?

Podcasting has changed my life. I mean it. I wouldn’t be living on a beautiful English island doing the work I love surrounded by my family all the time if it wasn’t for me listening to podcasts. Everyone has a different way of learning. Some like to read, others consume video, but I am certainly an auditory learner. I found myself listening to and learning fast from different podcasters with a wealth of experience. These podcasts really helped me to move my own business and lifestyle forward. I enjoy podcasting myself because of the close connection I can form with my listener.

I love trying out different platforms to publish my audio and I was attracted to the clean and easy look of Spreaker. Publishing a podcast and submitting it to iTunes is easy (no technical knowledge required) and I can include all my show notes on my Spreaker profile so it cuts out tasks like installing a website, setting up an RSS feed, finding an audio host, etc. I also really like the social aspect of Spreaker in that users can follow me, comment on my episodes and even share my content on other social networks.

Has this station helped you personally or professionally?

Yes, at the time of writing I’m less than two weeks in, I already have over 1,000 plays on the Spreaker platform alone. It can only be good for my business to have that many people hear about me in such a short space of time.

Glad to hear that! Anything else you’d like to share?

Seeing as it’s so easy to start a new show on Spreaker I’d certainly consider adding to my show portfolio. At present I’d like to work on and develop my current shows. I’d like to add more audio clips and examples to Jingles Made Easy and invite some guests to come on to my Audio Marketing Tips show to share knowledge.

We’re looking forward to the new shows and developments you’ll come up with! Thanks Mike!

If you aren’t already familiar with the blips, whizzes, and bams of Memory Gnome Saga, the science-fiction adventure created by Chris Orr, now’s your chance – and you should! He spoke to us about the creative process between him and his teammates Trevor Scales and Ben Crawford, and how the show, as well as Hove Live, has grown with time.

Do you mind introducing yourself?

I’m Chris Orr, a director and actor whose main projects are in the Theatre. I live in Brighton on England’s South Coast. I am a huge animation fan and an unfulfilled ambition is to voice animation.

Nice to meet you! How did you start podcasting? Had you always been into storytelling?

I bought myself a small digital recorder to help me audition and record voice over, so I thought I needed to practice with it. I got together with fellow actor Trevor Scales and just did a bit of off the cuff conversation. He said something about fishing for a memory, and I replied I had a vision of a gnome fishing in the top of his head; that started The Memory Gnome Saga. After hearing the first unedited podcast, another friend Ben Crawford volunteered to add music and sound effects – we’ve never looked back. Although I appear to do lots of different things creatively, act, direct, improvise, devise and write – they’re all in fact about telling stories, so I guess it’s in my DNA.

What are your influences?

Influences are Chuck Jones, William Shakespeare and anyone who tells a good story in whatever medium. I’m not sure I’m consciously influenced by someone, but my subconscious is because after I’ve done something I often recognise similar things. For instance the Gnome world is a weird world but in actuality operates like ours with similar domestic problems. I think you see that in The Flintstones and Monsters Inc., so that went in without me realising.

Who else works with you on the show?

Trevor Scales and I go to a café, decide where the story goes next, and then improvise an episode. We don’t usually script, so on record day (not in the café) we run the scene unrecorded three times then record three versions. We critique, edit and refine between each. We usually use the third recording – it’s emailed to Ben Crawford who adds music and sound effects.

How do you come up with all the sound effects? You’re very skillful in understanding when to use them!

With the sound effects Trevor and I leave a gap where we think one should be. The actual effects are down to Ben Crawford – we leave it entirely to him and are often surprised (in a a good way) by what he comes up with. I am highly collaborative and have found trusting people to do their own job always pays dividends.

It’s definitely worked out for you. How do you advertise the show?

We just push the show on social media, Twitter and Facebook. Sometimes I’ll email a link to an individual that shows an interest in it. Trevor tends to email his close friends.

Any favorite episodes?

My favourite episode is the podcast Gnome Extra – An Actor Prepares. This is where Trevor and I play slightly twisted versions of ourselves and I interview Trevor as to how he, a 6′ 7″ actor, plays a Gnome who’s 3′ 6″. Trevor’s favourite episode is Gnome 6 where we play two special ops Gnomes. Gnome 6 probably has the best sound effects.

Has this show helped you personally or professionally?

Finding Spreaker was great – we were using another website but now we not only record Gnome but also broadcast another show live – Hove Live (Hove is a suburb of Brighton where we both live). An artistic director of a theatre company we auditioned for loves Gnome so it’s a great excuse for staying in touch. No monetary rewards as of yet, but we’ve both learned a lot and and that will, I’m sure, pay dividends both creatively and financially in the future. Meanwhile we’re having a ball.

So are we! Anything else you’d like to share?

Hove Live, the other show, will have many strands but for now it takes us both back to the way we started – talking nonsense and having a ball. The conversations that Trevor and I have can get a little competitive and come out like a contemporary version of The Sunshine Boys, which I really like.

Formula 1 fans can always find a steady source of information and entertainment on Pit Stop Radio, hosted by the super expert on the subject: Sarah. She spoke with us on the evolution of the show, and her passion for racing:

I first got into F1 in 2007, which was Lewis Hamilton’s first season in the sport, I was intrigued and amazed with his first season and his driving style, as it was a very close and interesting battle between Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen. The rest, as they say, is history and I’ve been hooked ever since.

How did Pit Stop Radio start? Had you already been doing it before coming to Spreaker?

A good friend of mine, Dr Detroit from Couch Potato Radio on Spreaker, knew about my love for Formula 1 and he suggested I start up my own F1 show. I researched the internet, and although there were a couple of F1 radio shows, Spreaker had none for F1 fans. I put the wheels in motion on May 11, 2012 and started my F1 radio show Pit Stop Radio on Spreaker.

We’re happy to have you! Can you give us some racing 101 for those who don’t follow the sport?

2 trophies – World Drivers’ Championship (for the driver who at the end of the season has the most points) and World Constructors Championship (For the team who at the end of the season has the most points)

Personally, I don’t watch any other motor sport, but there are some great ones out there such as: GP2, BTCC, MotoGP, and many more.

Do you use Spreaker’s interactive features to chat with your listeners?

I use VACs to link up Skype with the DJ console to enable callers to call in live on the show and share their opinions. Also, I have a website where I have a Pit Stop Radio chat room that gives listeners the opportunity to chat along live with the show, and have their opinions read out on air.

Has this podcast helped you personally or professionally?

I would defiantly say that Pit Stop Radio has helped me personally, as I have met some amazing people through it. Also, it has helped with my confidence as I used to be quite shy and had a stutter, but since starting Pit Stop Radio my confidence has grown and my stutter has improved a lot.

Amazing work, we can honestly say that. Anything else you’d like to share?

I have a lot planned this year for Pit Stop Radio, including some very special F1 personalities as guests. During the F1 season shows are LIVE Saturdays and Mondays 8PM GMT, and you can listen to yesterday’s episode with special guest Gary Hartstein, the former F1 doctor.

Also as well as doing PitStopRadio, I also run a F1 Twitter page called @F1_Fans_Updates, where I keep everyone updated with the latest F1 news, tweet live updates from every race, and also run a daily F1 poll called #F1POTD. There I ask a daily F1 question for my followers to answer, and at the end of the day I collect the results and tweet the top 3 answers. If anyone misses a #F1POTD answer they can find a list of all the 2013 #F1POTD results on the Pit Stop Radio website.

Finally, if anyone would like further information on Pit Stop Radio, please see the below key links:

The PitStopRadio website where you can listen to the show live, and take part in the show LIVE via the chat room.

Listen in for amazing and fun facts on health and the medical industry by tuning in to The Myfatfact Podcast on Spreaker! The well-informed hosts talk to us on how they mix science with entertainment, and their successful approach to podcasting.

Do you mind introducing yourself?

Where can adults find health information that’s actually entertaining to read – Myfatfact.com of course! The sole mission of Myfatfact is to make people’s lives healthier by making health information memorable. We take evidence-based literature and turn it into short, entertaining messages called a Fatfacts. Fatfacts are written in a way that can be easily integrated into everyday life. As Zackery A. Conklin, the Host of The Myfatfact Podcast, states at the beginning of every podcast; “Knowledge is power, and Myfatfact is powerful knowledge.” Zack Conklin is the Co-founder and CEO of Myfatfact Inc. The co-host is Cameron Brown, Editor-In-Chief of Myfatfact.com and director of The Myfatfact Podcast. The podcast is recorded and edited by Vice President of Myfatfact Inc., Maan Dhanjal. We release a new episode every Sunday so we encourage you to try and keep up with us!

Wonderful to meet all of you! How did you get into health and wellness?

The human body has always fascinated us. A majority of the people who work for Myfatfact are inspiring, young health professionals. Myfatfact takes everything we’ve learned in our education, clinical experience, and research, to a whole new level. The initial writing was done solely by Co-Founder Zack Conklin. With his new style of health writing, and other co-founder Abhishek Singh’s programming, a database and website was born. The mission of myfatfact has currently inspired over 50 health professionals that actively write for the website. These writers are held to the highest standards with Cameron’s excellence in research leading the way. The study and dissemination of current health information has become our life mission.

How did you start podcasting? Had you already been doing it before coming to Spreaker?

The Myfatfact Podcast is the very first podcast we have ever done! Cameron Brown presented the idea during the development of Myfatfact 2.0, which was recently launched on October the 6th. We completely revamped our website, turning our Fatfacts into an entertaining media format never seen before. We like to think that our new media based Fatfact amalgamation is like putting our original Fatfacts on steroids. The media makes the information more entertaining, memorable, and shareable; all part of our mission. We decided to use pictures, motion images, videos and of course The Myfatfact Podcast as our media outlets. After much debate and research, we decided to go with Spreaker.com as our hosting site. We couldn’t be happier with Spreaker’s features, affordability, reliability and customer service. Most listeners will agree that our podcast is evolving; our listener’s feedback and new ideas are molding this podcast into something truly remarkable.

What are favorite, but little known, medical or health facts?

Fatfact: “50% of sexually active people end up with an STD by age 25. Do you have a bump and a swollen lymph node? Let’s just call it the “H word” for now. Go get tested.”

Fatfact: “Calcium supplements could KILL you! Calcium supplementation is NOT a good way to prevent osteoporotic fractures and instead may even kill you. Know your fatFACTS!”

Fatfact: “Grab a buddy to get high with after school. Lifting weights produces the SAME chemicals in your brain as drugs like pain killers, cannabis and amphetamines.”

Awesome! Any favorite episodes from your own podcast?

One of our personal favorite podcasts thus far was one which we just recorded with Professional MMA fighter Gregor Gillespie. There are many reasons why; to start, we had to make two trips to Long Island to finally get it right; as our first trip ended with an equipment malfunction and a non-publishable podcast. The whole team was extremely disappointed as the discussion that afternoon was truly epic. However, having no other choice but to re-record it, Cameron and Zack flew to NYC a month later to get it right. On the way down all we could do is hope that we could recreate the initial energy which was present during the first recording. Turns out Gregor brought even more energy this time around, creating nothing short of an electrifying environment which blew the first discussion away, and took this podcast to a whole new level.

This podcast has everything a great movie would: humor, sadness, vulgar language, fighting, motivation, and sexual encounters (all just discussed, not performed). Gregor is a Myfatfact sponsored Athlete and an absolutely amazing human being. He has his shit together and we fear for his opponents come January.

Do you use Spreaker’s interactive features to chat with your fans?

We use numerous mediums to communicate with our fans, including a comments section which we actively moderate. We also use: Facebook, Twitter, and of course Spreaker! We take our comment section very seriously and make an effort to respond to all commentary within 24 hours. Ask us anything about our content and we WILL get back to you! We encourage everyone to get involved; this is your health, and if it’s not priority number one, it should be!

What do you do to reach listeners? Do you rely on social media, or do you use other channels of communication?

We are all over the place. You can find us on all the major social media platforms, including: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and many others. We have a huge following online and in various cities across the country. We are based out of Buffalo NY, and have made many appearances throughout Western and Central NY as well. Look for us at future events in and around the entire state of New York; we are planning a variety of awesome upcoming events which you don’t want to miss.

Can’t wait to hear about them! Has this podcast helped you personally or professionally?

Without a doubt; this podcast has helped our site immensely. We’re constantly networking, and tirelessly working our way up the food chain of respected and well known health professionals. We’re getting many more requests for guest lectures/presentations from various health professionals and respected educational institutions. Recording these podcasts has become one of our favorite parts of this massive project. The podcasts are approximately an hour long and are always entertaining, mentally stimulating and informative.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Myfatfact is a completely self-funded project. We’ve lucked out as most of the work involved with the company is human resource. We’ve slowly expanded our team by motivating needed specialists with a similar dream; the dream of a health revolution, where people are no longer unaware of their mind and body, and their health becomes their #1 priority. We want everyone to wake up every morning feeling their absolute best! This team consists of over 50 multi- talented health professionals, computer programmers and database engineers. If you are interested in contributing to the site or investing your own human resources or capital in this expanding company you can contact us at contact@myfatfact.com.